When I'm leaning or cutting, I usually do IF for about a month or two, depending on how my body reacts, and how quickly it adjusts to the change. Once it adjusts to change, I'll switch to maybe low carb for another month or so. Then after that, back to a regular normal eating. Rinse and repeat.
If your end goal is fat loss, being successful is mainly determined by diet. That's my advice I tell everyone that asks me. Diet, diet, diet. You can workout 8 hours a day, but if you eat unhealthy food like McDonald's burgers, fries, and shakes every day, then you won't see any progress.

I have been doing intermittent fasting for a couple years now, but not consistently, I tend to cheat on the weekends. I work at a computer so I drink lots of water so I wear the carpet out to the bathroom. I don't eat anything until 10am, then hit the gym at work, cardio 10min then lift 50min, eat decent lunch after then a decent dinner before 6. I am 6' 275lbs and built like a linebacker, but weight loss has eluded me all my life because I have 32 sweet teeth and when i curb my processed food intake my weight tends to go down. However, I have noticed when my stress levels go down and I quit thinking about food my weight drops. Now to figure out how to reduce stress levels.

Hold the Line! If you are not holding the line, abandon your ship. Destruction is inevitable without more to hold the line!

I know Fasting and breatharianism are nowhere near the same thing, but if you are ever curious to learn about it, here are some references:

Definition: Breatharianism is the belief that it is possible for a person to live without consuming food, and in some cases water. Breatharians claim that food (and sometimes water) is not necessary for survival, and that humans can be sustained solely by prana, the vital life force in Hinduism. According to Ayurveda, sunlight is one of the main sources of prana, and some practitioners believe that it is possible for a person to survive on sunlight alone. The terms breatharianism or inedia may also refer to this philosophy when it is practiced as a lifestyle in place of a usual diet.

Breatharianism is considered a deadly pseudoscience by scientists and medical professionals, and several adherents of these practices have died from starvation or dehydration. It is an established fact that humans require food and water (nutrients) to survive.

CICO is not a myth. CICO is a thermodynamic principle. It applies indirectly weight since the human body isn't a machine. .

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The problem with counting calories is exactly the indirect application you bring up.

Calories are an arbitrary unit of measurement of food that does not apply to nutrition as we have been taught. Measuring the “energy” content of a food in a laboratory setting is one thing, how the body uses each is different.

100 calories of fat is not equal to 100 calories of protein or 100 calories of carbs.

Protein can build muscle tissue, carbs cannot for example. Eating some carbs won’t kill you, but there is no biological requirement for carbohydrate in the human body. The body can survive without carbs, but it cannot survive without fat or protein.

If one eats the proper foods, they don’t need to care about counting calories at all. The body will behave as it was designed to. Eating just fat and protein you can eat to satiety and lose body fat.

A great documentary to check out Fat: A documentary by Vinnie Tortorich. Rent it on Amazon then do your own research to validate

All I know is that for me to lose weight I need to go into a coma. I can gain weight with healthy eating of 1200-1500 calories per and working out 2x a day. I know cause I've measured and tracked. My body was built to store fat to survive a famine.

The problem with counting calories is exactly the indirect application you bring up.

Calories are an arbitrary unit of measurement of food that does not apply to nutrition as we have been taught. Measuring the “energy” content of a food in a laboratory setting is one thing, how the body uses each is different.

100 calories of fat is not equal to 100 calories of protein or 100 calories of carbs.

Protein can build muscle tissue, carbs cannot for example. Eating some carbs won’t kill you, but there is no biological requirement for carbohydrate in the human body. The body can survive without carbs, but it cannot survive without fat or protein.

If one eats the proper foods, they don’t need to care about counting calories at all. The body will behave as it was designed to. Eating just fat and protein you can eat to satiety and lose body fat.

A great documentary to check out Fat: A documentary by Vinnie Tortorich. Rent it on Amazon then do your own research to validate

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Carbs are indeed a requirement. You need fiber, you need Vitamin C, those are only found in carbs, there may be others but those are the 2 I know off the top of my head.

Over consumption of protein can lead to kidney problems.

Over eating the "proper" foods can lead to weight gain. Fat and protein can be harder to overeat since they help with satiety but it's still possible, especially with fat.

There are no good or bad foods, yes some are better than others, but in moderation anything is fine (barring a medical condition).

In the end the best type of diet is the one YOU can live with long term. High fat, low carb, high carb, low fat, etc, doesn't matter as long as it's sustainable.

All I know is that for me to lose weight I need to go into a coma. I can gain weight with healthy eating of 1200-1500 calories per and working out 2x a day. I know cause I've measured and tracked. My body was built to store fat to survive a famine.

I'm doing 2/5, 2 days fasting with 600 calories a day for the 2 days and then 5 days of the normal calories. I fast Monday and Tuesday. I weigh and measure my servings so as to know very close to what I'm eating. Works very good for me. My normal calories is 2000 a day.

Carbs are indeed a requirement. You need fiber, you need Vitamin C, those are only found in carbs, there may be others but those are the 2 I know off the top of my head.

Over consumption of protein can lead to kidney problems.

Over eating the "proper" foods can lead to weight gain. Fat and protein can be harder to overeat since they help with satiety but it's still possible, especially with fat..

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Nutrition is of course a science and constantly evolving. There is no definitive proof either way and there cannot be because we didn’t create the machine.

But case study provides evidence. There are thousands of people living on 100% red meat diets. None of them are deficient in vitamin c or fiber. There is very little evidence that fiber is necessary when you cut junk food from the diet. Fiber is needed when you clog up your digestive track with grains/junk.

The idea that protein hurts kidneys is also a changing dogma. Sugar causes FAR more damage to the kidneys than protein, and it is possible that we incorrectly assumed the protein was causing the damage when it was the sugar all along. Remember humans have studied nutrition for a very short amount of time historically, but in 1863 Dr Banting discovered that carbohydrates cause weight gain.

The problem with counting calories is exactly the indirect application you bring up.

Calories are an arbitrary unit of measurement of food that does not apply to nutrition as we have been taught. Measuring the “energy” content of a food in a laboratory setting is one thing, how the body uses each is different.

100 calories of fat is not equal to 100 calories of protein or 100 calories of carbs.

Protein can build muscle tissue, carbs cannot for example. Eating some carbs won’t kill you, but there is no biological requirement for carbohydrate in the human body. The body can survive without carbs, but it cannot survive without fat or protein.

If one eats the proper foods, they don’t need to care about counting calories at all. The body will behave as it was designed to. Eating just fat and protein you can eat to satiety and lose body fat.

A great documentary to check out Fat: A documentary by Vinnie Tortorich. Rent it on Amazon then do your own research to validate

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This is a good post. I'll add to it. Protein builds muscle, everyone knows that. It's essential for getting lean. Fats and carbs fuel the body's energy expenditure know different ways. Fats digest slower and are better for most leisurely activity. Carbs digest quicker and reach the muscles they're fueling faster, so they're better for in-workout fuel and for recovery.

When a person builds muscle and loses fat, they may gain weight but actually take up less space in the universe. Muscle assists in burning calories, fat does not, so as a person leans up, it becomes a self-perpetuating cycle. Your body literally is more efficient and can recover from intermittently feeding it poor fuel quicker than someone who is out of shape. The first time I achieved a six pack, I got burnt out on working out and eating right, but I kept my abs for more than a year before they disappeared lol.

Nutrition is of course a science and constantly evolving. There is no definitive proof either way and there cannot be because we didn’t create the machine.

But case study provides evidence. There are thousands of people living on 100% red meat diets. None of them are deficient in vitamin c or fiber. There is very little evidence that fiber is necessary when you cut junk food from the diet. Fiber is needed when you clog up your digestive track with grains/junk.

The idea that protein hurts kidneys is also a changing dogma. Sugar causes FAR more damage to the kidneys than protein, and it is possible that we incorrectly assumed the protein was causing the damage when it was the sugar all along. Remember humans have studied nutrition for a very short amount of time historically, but in 1863 Dr Banting discovered that carbohydrates cause weight gain.

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I mean the average life expectancy in 1863 was like 40 I think we're doing a little better now. Saying he discovered it is not entirely accurate, he discovered when he changed his diet he lost weight nothing else.

Like I mentioned above overeating anything is the cause of weight gain, not just carbs.

People have lost weight eating nothing but McDonalds and others eating nothing but Twinkies.

I mean the average life expectancy in 1863 was like 40 I think we're doing a little better now. Saying he discovered it is not entirely accurate, he discovered when he changed his diet he lost weight nothing else..

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Ok he popularized it, yes more accurate.

Life expectancy is a misleading stat. Compare the infant mortality rate of 1863 to present day first world. Compare the rate of a 20 year old mother dying in child birth. Both have been reduced to nearly zero. These two causes alone largely contributed to an average low life expectancy.

Was eating lean proteins and fats. Weights PM, cardio AM. I will have lost 6lbs this week, but by the time I'm done with Rexy's party this Saturday I'll be +10 lbs and take me 3 weeks to drop again

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Try taking measurements of yourself, onto weighing. It could be water weight. The better way of seeing fat loss, is measuring your neck, waist, chest, etc. Keep track of those, and monitor the progress.

I have been doing intermittent fasting for a couple years now, but not consistently, I tend to cheat on the weekends. I work at a computer so I drink lots of water so I wear the carpet out to the bathroom. I don't eat anything until 10am, then hit the gym at work, cardio 10min then lift 50min, eat decent lunch after then a decent dinner before 6. I am 6' 275lbs and built like a linebacker, but weight loss has eluded me all my life because I have 32 sweet teeth and when i curb my processed food intake my weight tends to go down. However, I have noticed when my stress levels go down and I quit thinking about food my weight drops. Now to figure out how to reduce stress levels.

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I have a mentally taxing technical job and am Epileptic so I have to keep stress down as much as possible. Intense or long duration exercise is huge, but also...

Yoga - Try the Yoga Body series with Julia Marie included with Amazon Prime. I started with one called Yoga for Weight Loss led by Erica Vetra. I learned a lot of the moves on that one, then pretty much only do the Yoga Body series if I'm not just doing my own thing. The energy release from those held positions is the best. A good session just about puts me to sleep.

Meditation - I use the Headspace app and have for a couple years. There's no sitting cross-legged and chanting. It's basically guided breathing exercises with additional insight about mindset, focus, etc.

I go through phases where I do it daily, then fall off for a while. Currently I'm doing it in the morning while running through my Yoga/stretches. Two birds with one stone, although the actual practice and retention of the guided techniques (some sessions have them, some don't) isn't real great if I mix it with all that movement. Both have a tremendous effect on my stress levels.

And if you already know/do this stuff, then just tell me to shut up and go away. I probably won't, though.

I have a mentally taxing technical job and am Epileptic so I have to keep stress down as much as possible. Intense or long duration exercise is huge, but also...

Yoga - Try the Yoga Body series with Julia Marie included with Amazon Prime. I started with one called Yoga for Weight Loss led by Erica Vetra. I learned a lot of the moves on that one, then pretty much only do the Yoga Body series if I'm not just doing my own thing. The energy release from those held positions is the best. A good session just about puts me to sleep.

Meditation - I use the Headspace app and have for a couple years. There's no sitting cross-legged and chanting. It's basically guided breathing exercises with additional insight about mindset, focus, etc.

I go through phases where I do it daily, then fall off for a while. Currently I'm doing it in the morning while running through my Yoga/stretches. Two birds with one stone, although the actual practice and retention of the guided techniques (some sessions have them, some don't) isn't real great if I mix it with all that movement. Both have a tremendous effect on my stress levels.

And if you already know/do this stuff, then just tell me to shut up and go away. I probably won't, though.

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You might already know, but just in case, there has been a lot of success in treating epilepsy with a ketogenic diet.

Calorie in and calorie out is a myth. If it were true, the average person wouldnt be failing by counting calories.

I eat 2500-3000 calories a day and lose weight. I dont even want to lose weight...

It sounds like you had luck with it which is awesome. But it also sounds like you were working out very hard, which may have increase your gains.

Take 2 sedentary people. Put one on keto and one on a calorie restriction. The keto person will lose fat despite eating a shitload more calories

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Gas in mileage out is a myth. It’s why some people get better gas mileage in their tundras.... /s

I was RELIGIOUSLY tracking calories, weighing every ingredient in anything I made, weighing the total, weighing what I ate, and applying fractions. Eating processed food and weighing it and applying its nutritional value. I wore a chest heart rate monitor and tracked estimated calories burned. For every ~3500 calories of deficit I was in, it showed up as ~1lb on a scale. It’s the law of thermodynamics, no myth about it. Do different strategies work for different people? Sure! Some burn less calories for the same type of activities than others but that doesn’t negate in vs out.

I tried it, my body just cries to me it’s hungry I’m Samoan so I have to eat. I just eat healthy all 3
meals and workout and I’ve lost weight, I feel good and BP is under control. Works for some people, I know what works for me.

Great thread. I've tinkered around with a ton of stuff over the years.

CICO: I can't wrap my head around this. It absolutely makes sense, and by all logical reason it should. However, when I was younger before discovering the bliss that is coffee, I drove delivery trucks and worked my ass off. I ate a snickers and Soda around 10am and then had a steak, salad, basic dinner at night. Nothing else. I never dropped a pound.

Post High School I worked out like a demon with light cardio and heavy weights and ate only loads of carbs and protein. Lost a ton of weight.

KETO: A few years ago due to gut issues, I did an elimination food regimen. Basically nothing processed. Think about that for a second....Nothing in a package, nothing with a label, nothing with an ingredient list. I ate a lot of carbs in fruit/veggies, fish, some meat (obviously can't eat bacon since it's packed). Basically anything and everything that was natural. Dropped 22lbs in 17 days. For the hell of it I checked my sugar levels and I indeed was in Ketosis. No special keto diet or counting carbs. Just eating nothing processed. Doing that basically eliminates refined sugars and excess carbs in pasta, flour etc.

Now, I have really maintained and am involuntarily doing IF. I have coffeee in the morning and am usually not hungry until 1 or 2. Eat some lunch have some dinner. No gain no loss. When I do gain it's directly attributed to my beer intake. lol.